Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips 214. Subverting the Mainstream Lens: Writing Stories That Stay True to Your People (With Tiffany Grimes)
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Oct 7, 2025 Join Tiffany Grimes, an MFA-trained editor and founder of Burgeon Design and Editorial, as she explores authentic representation in writing. She shares her journey of recognizing her limitations with certain narratives, such as her experience writing about a Vietnamese character. Tiffany highlights the difference between writing 'about' versus 'to' a community and emphasizes the importance of emotional truth over mere research. She encourages writers to embrace stereotypes in early drafts and trust their readers while maintaining creative integrity.
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Learning From A Mistaken Character Choice
- Tiffany Grimes described writing a Vietnamese adoptee character in grad school and being told she wasn't the right person to tell that story.
- Feedback showed the character's ethnicity felt unnecessary and exposed gaps in lived experience around transnational adoption.
Start With Why And Your Intended Reader
- Ask why you want to write a character outside your identity and decide if the story is for insiders or outsiders before proceeding.
- Remember this is a spectrum: choose what stays intimate, public, layered, or coded as an artistic decision.
Question 'Clarity' Feedback Before Changing
- If feedback asks for 'clarity', break down what that clarity should actually achieve before adding explanation.
- Decide whether the clarity request serves your intended reader or dilutes your story for a mainstream audience.
